Innovative Virtual Fences Protect Cattle from Grizzly Bears near Yellowstone
In a groundbreaking approach to livestock protection, ranchers near Yellowstone National Park are adapting virtual fence technology, originally designed for pets, to safeguard cattle from increasing grizzly bear attacks.
With the grizzly bear population in the Yellowstone region on the rise, ranchers face mounting challenges as these predators increasingly target livestock. To counter this, some ranchers are turning to GPS collar technology to monitor and protect their herds. Hanna Merzbach from the Mountain West News Bureau provides insight into this innovative solution.
Ben Anson, who manages the historic Pitchfork Ranch located an hour and a half east of Yellowstone, has witnessed a noticeable increase in grizzly bear sightings on his land. “I was seeing, you know, 12 individual bears in a year, and then 16 and then 20,” he remarked. Anson describes these bears as descending from snow-dotted mountains and preying on calves.
Protected under the Endangered Species Act since the 1970s, grizzly bears cannot be hunted, leaving ranchers with limited options for defense. Anson shared, “I’ve watched bears try to eat calves out of cows as they were being born. You know, the way the rules are right now, I really can’t do anything about it besides try to haze that bear.”
Now, Anson employs solar-powered GPS collars from New Zealand, attaching them to his cattle to track their movements in real time via a smartphone app. These collars facilitate the creation of virtual fences, alerting cattle with a beep and vibration, followed by a mild shock if they cross the boundary. Although some animal welfare groups express concern over the shock, studies indicate that cattle quickly learn to avoid it.
In grizzly territory, rapid removal of deceased livestock is crucial to prevent attracting bears. The GPS collars assist in locating and confirming predator kills, which are eligible for state reimbursement. Amaroq Weiss from the Center for Biological Diversity supports the use of these collars, stating, “I think it has a lot of positives.”
The collars represent a shift in strategy, focusing on altering human management practices rather than predator behavior. Weiss emphasizes, “We’re so often trying to change predator behavior. If what we can do is change human behavior, how we’re managing our lives, our livestock, our pets, our footprint on the land, we’re actually going to have a lot greater success in coexisting.”
Grizzly bear attacks on livestock can result in wildlife managers legally euthanizing the bears. Although predator-related cattle deaths are relatively low nationwide, grizzly fatalities near Yellowstone are significant.
At Pitchfork Ranch, the once-agitated cattle, now equipped with the GPS collars, are visible as blue dots on Anson’s iPhone. “And then if you zoom in on them, you can click on them, see which animal it is,” Anson explained.
The initial investment in GPS collars is substantial, with costs reaching around $50,000, plus additional annual subscription fees. However, conservation groups are contributing financially and supporting research to assess the technology’s effectiveness in mitigating predator conflicts.
For NPR News, I’m Hanna Merzbach, reporting from northwest Wyoming.
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This article was originally written by www.npr.org
